Sure, we’ve all been there. You’re crawling out of the wreckage of your latest laboratory, watching your Monster go make friends with the people who’ve just destroyed years of your work, and picking little bits of adamantium, mithril, and frozen aether out of yet another utterly ruined labcoat, and you’re thinking, “Why? WHY did this happen?”
It’s probably because you made one of the four classic Evil Mad Scientist mistakes. Don’t be embarrassed. It’s happened to the best of us. Although it’s also happened to the worst of us. Where exactly do you fall on that scale? I think that’s a writing subject for a different day. Anyway, let’s get started.
Things An Evil Mad Scientist Really, Really, Really Should Not Do:
4. Never shout, “Fools, I’ll destroy you all” out loud. Come on. There’s always somebody listening at the wrong moment. Haven’t you learned this by now? Instead, try shouting, “Tea? I love tea! Also, cupcakes are yummy!” That will confuse the mazurkas out of them.
3. Try not to label your evil plan “My Evil Plan”. Sort-of gives the game away, you know? There you are, taking a hot selfie for your nondescript public identity, and there’s a red folder with “EVIL” stenciled on it in big letters. Heroes always find that stuff. It’s very frustrating.
2. We’ve been trying to teach you this for years, but I’ll say it now and louder: IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO GLOAT TO A DEAD ENEMY THAN A LIVE ONE. Sure, the dead one can’t look sad and defeated, but the corpse IS sad and defeated. Way, way better.
1. Want to hide the countdown to the launch of your Horrible Destructo-Device? It’s easy. Just resist the urge to count it down in a booming voice, and, instead, hide it in some innocuous set of numbers, like, say, a list of suggestions on the internet.
Speaking of which, DESTRUCTO-BOT, LAUNCH!
My name is Jeff Mach (“Dark Lord” is optional) and I build communities, put on events, and make stories come into being. I also tweet a lot over @darklordjournal.
